Aa
at least 35 yrs since possible exposure?
Hi
I was just told that I need to be tested for Hep C. I do have some off "liver function" tests, but the values are just a tiny bit outside range (for example, AST of 34 with a reference range of 8 to 30, ALT of 45 with a reference range of 7 to 40, alkaline phosphatase of 151 with a RR of 50 to 136)
All along my doc has been saying it looks like fatty liver disease (I am overweight)
Anyway she tells me that new guidelines suggest all ppl in my age group get tested. (I'm 58)
The thing is, IF I was exposed to Hep C, it would have been a very long time ago! I have not used any drugs of any kind in over 35 yrs. I did inject stuff and did snort stuff a very very few times between age 18 to 20, I have had STDs (can you get Hep C that way?) No blood transfusions, worked as a nurse's aid but didn't come into contact with blood that I can recall.
long story shortened a tiny bit LOL wouldn't I have had *something* show up before now? my slightly elevated liver test values are recent, just in the last two year. An ultrasound of my liver didn't show anything to be concerned about.
Does anyone actually go this long without having some idea that they might have been infected?
I was just told that I need to be tested for Hep C. I do have some off "liver function" tests, but the values are just a tiny bit outside range (for example, AST of 34 with a reference range of 8 to 30, ALT of 45 with a reference range of 7 to 40, alkaline phosphatase of 151 with a RR of 50 to 136)
All along my doc has been saying it looks like fatty liver disease (I am overweight)
Anyway she tells me that new guidelines suggest all ppl in my age group get tested. (I'm 58)
The thing is, IF I was exposed to Hep C, it would have been a very long time ago! I have not used any drugs of any kind in over 35 yrs. I did inject stuff and did snort stuff a very very few times between age 18 to 20, I have had STDs (can you get Hep C that way?) No blood transfusions, worked as a nurse's aid but didn't come into contact with blood that I can recall.
long story shortened a tiny bit LOL wouldn't I have had *something* show up before now? my slightly elevated liver test values are recent, just in the last two year. An ultrasound of my liver didn't show anything to be concerned about.
Does anyone actually go this long without having some idea that they might have been infected?
Best Answer
I had AST/ALT in high normal and had Hepatitis C. I was also told I had a fatty liver before testing positive for Hepatitis C. I know longer have a fatty liver or fatigue.....and no longer have Hepatitis C.
Let us know your results.
Best to you
Let us know your results.
Best to you
thanks for your detailed response, I appreciate all the info.
when you say your liver enzymes were only slightly elevated, were they like mine, just a tiny bit outside of range?
I went back thru my records and the slightly off values began in 2011, at which time my doc said these don't look like hepatitis values. It never really crossed my mind that I could have hepatitis, so I really didn't pay close attention to the other things she said that led her to believe that hepatitis wasn't a concern.
My ALT has never gone higher than 47 and my AST has never gone higher than 34. That was Jan. of last year.
Those two numbers came down to normal last March (the last time I had blood work) but at the same time my alkaline phosphatase went back up over the normal range to 151.
In any case, all of these numbers are just a tiny bit outside normal ranges, so I pretty much figured they didn't really mean anything.
were your values as low as mine? from what I've been seeing, the values are in the thousands for ppl with hepatitis.
I'm sorry you have liver damage, but glad that the treatment worked for you. Will your liver be able to go back to normal or is that damage permanent? how does it affect your life now?
I am always tired but my doc thinks that's due to depression and/or stress. I've tried to tell her that I'm depressed *because* I'm too tired to do what I want to but she's got in set in her mind that I'm depressed and that's that.
To be honest, at this point, I don't know what to hope for- If it turns out I've got hep C but it can be treated and even cured, that actually sounds like a better outcome then being tired all the time and not knowing why.
I'm going to go get tested on Monday.
thanks again,
when you say your liver enzymes were only slightly elevated, were they like mine, just a tiny bit outside of range?
I went back thru my records and the slightly off values began in 2011, at which time my doc said these don't look like hepatitis values. It never really crossed my mind that I could have hepatitis, so I really didn't pay close attention to the other things she said that led her to believe that hepatitis wasn't a concern.
My ALT has never gone higher than 47 and my AST has never gone higher than 34. That was Jan. of last year.
Those two numbers came down to normal last March (the last time I had blood work) but at the same time my alkaline phosphatase went back up over the normal range to 151.
In any case, all of these numbers are just a tiny bit outside normal ranges, so I pretty much figured they didn't really mean anything.
were your values as low as mine? from what I've been seeing, the values are in the thousands for ppl with hepatitis.
I'm sorry you have liver damage, but glad that the treatment worked for you. Will your liver be able to go back to normal or is that damage permanent? how does it affect your life now?
I am always tired but my doc thinks that's due to depression and/or stress. I've tried to tell her that I'm depressed *because* I'm too tired to do what I want to but she's got in set in her mind that I'm depressed and that's that.
To be honest, at this point, I don't know what to hope for- If it turns out I've got hep C but it can be treated and even cured, that actually sounds like a better outcome then being tired all the time and not knowing why.
I'm going to go get tested on Monday.
thanks again,
You are correct. I guess I was just looking at the ratio without taking into consideration the fact that the numbers not very high. Thank you for the correction.
".....But the ratio of AST/ALT indicates the possibility of viral hepatitis infection....."
I would like to see some documentation for that statement.
I have never seen that conclusion based on a ALT of 45 and an AST of 34.
Please elaborate.
Mike
I would like to see some documentation for that statement.
I have never seen that conclusion based on a ALT of 45 and an AST of 34.
Please elaborate.
Mike
Welcome to the forum.
Hopefully you do not have Hepatitis C. However, you are a Baby Boomer and Baby Boomers are the group most likely to have Hepatitis C. The CDC now recommends that all Bbay Boomers be tested for Hepatitis C. In addition, you did inject drugs even though it was many years ago. Injecting drugs puts you in a high risk group. Also, about 40% of people have no idea how they contracted Hep C so, even if you had no risk factors, you could still have it.
Many people have had Hepatitis C for decades and do not know they have it. Many find out through routine testing or donating blood or through testing/treatment for another disease/condition. Often it is discovered inadvertently. And often it is discovered after people already have a lot of liver damage. I contracted Hep C in about 1974 but it was not discovered until my liver enzymes were slightly elevated in 2011. Then I was tested for hep C and it was discovered that I had Chronic Hep C. I have since treated it and am now cured. In retrospect, I had fatigue and body aches and joint aches and several other symptoms but I did not realize that they were due to the Hep C. Now I know that they were.
An Ultrasound of the liver may tell you if you have Cirrhosis (Stage 4 liver fibrosis) but it will not tell you if you have Stage 1, 2, or 3 fibrosis. My Ultrasound was completely normal and I have Stage 2 liver fibrosis. Liver enzymes often do not start rising until one has liver damage. My liver enzymes were only very slightly elevated.
You will probably have the Hepatitis Antibody panel first. If that is negative, you won't need further testing for Hep C. If the Hep C is positive, then they will run a HCV RNA test to see if you have a viral load. If you have a viral load, you have Chronic Hep C. If the HCV RNA detects no virus, then your immune system successfully fought off the disease.
If you do have Chronic Hep C they will determine which Genotype you have and then you can be treated. The current treatments have a very high cure rate and are much easier to do than the previous treatments. Depending on your Genotype, most current treatments are only 12 weeks long and, as I said, have very high cure rates.
Here is a link to information about the tests:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-c/tab/test/
and another link to testing:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-panel/tab/test/
Hopefully you will be negative. If you do have Chronic Hep C this forum is a good place to get information, answers to questions, and support.
Best of luck.
Hopefully you do not have Hepatitis C. However, you are a Baby Boomer and Baby Boomers are the group most likely to have Hepatitis C. The CDC now recommends that all Bbay Boomers be tested for Hepatitis C. In addition, you did inject drugs even though it was many years ago. Injecting drugs puts you in a high risk group. Also, about 40% of people have no idea how they contracted Hep C so, even if you had no risk factors, you could still have it.
Many people have had Hepatitis C for decades and do not know they have it. Many find out through routine testing or donating blood or through testing/treatment for another disease/condition. Often it is discovered inadvertently. And often it is discovered after people already have a lot of liver damage. I contracted Hep C in about 1974 but it was not discovered until my liver enzymes were slightly elevated in 2011. Then I was tested for hep C and it was discovered that I had Chronic Hep C. I have since treated it and am now cured. In retrospect, I had fatigue and body aches and joint aches and several other symptoms but I did not realize that they were due to the Hep C. Now I know that they were.
An Ultrasound of the liver may tell you if you have Cirrhosis (Stage 4 liver fibrosis) but it will not tell you if you have Stage 1, 2, or 3 fibrosis. My Ultrasound was completely normal and I have Stage 2 liver fibrosis. Liver enzymes often do not start rising until one has liver damage. My liver enzymes were only very slightly elevated.
You will probably have the Hepatitis Antibody panel first. If that is negative, you won't need further testing for Hep C. If the Hep C is positive, then they will run a HCV RNA test to see if you have a viral load. If you have a viral load, you have Chronic Hep C. If the HCV RNA detects no virus, then your immune system successfully fought off the disease.
If you do have Chronic Hep C they will determine which Genotype you have and then you can be treated. The current treatments have a very high cure rate and are much easier to do than the previous treatments. Depending on your Genotype, most current treatments are only 12 weeks long and, as I said, have very high cure rates.
Here is a link to information about the tests:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-c/tab/test/
and another link to testing:
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-panel/tab/test/
Hopefully you will be negative. If you do have Chronic Hep C this forum is a good place to get information, answers to questions, and support.
Best of luck.
thank you both for your input! ok so I'll go ahead and get tested, about how long before you get the results?
I have the orders (they include all the other tests I get annually for my physical) I just need to remember to fast and get the tests done!
So the first test is just to see if I've ever been exposed? then I need more tests to see if I've got the virus hanging around?
I did a little google search on HepC and what I was reading was very scary (the treatment can be worse than the disease, etc) but I've learned from having other health conditions, that the best place to get up to date and accurate information is to go find the ppl dealing with the condition.
thank you, I will let you know what the results are!
I have the orders (they include all the other tests I get annually for my physical) I just need to remember to fast and get the tests done!
So the first test is just to see if I've ever been exposed? then I need more tests to see if I've got the virus hanging around?
I did a little google search on HepC and what I was reading was very scary (the treatment can be worse than the disease, etc) but I've learned from having other health conditions, that the best place to get up to date and accurate information is to go find the ppl dealing with the condition.
thank you, I will let you know what the results are!
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My AST was normal. My ALT was only very slightly elevated, similar to yours. My Alkaline Phosphatase was normal.
"Will your liver be able to go back to normal or is that damage permanent? how does it affect your life now?"
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The liver does have the capacity to regenerate so I am hoping that mine will improve over time. I don't think my liver fibrosis (Stage 2) really affects my life currently. The severe fatigue I had prior to treatment is now gone. Many of the muscle aches that I had prior to treatment are now gone. I feel considerably better since I completed treatment and sustained a cure.
"I am always tired but my doc thinks that's due to depression and/or stress. I've tried to tell her that I'm depressed *because* I'm too tired to do what I want to but she's got in set in her mind that I'm depressed and that's that."
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Many (if not most) doctors seem to dismiss fatigue as nothing and don't seem to want to recognize fatigue as being due to something other than aging or depression or being too fat. My doctor told me I was just getting old and that was why I was so tired. I knew he was wrong, but it took pulling teeth to get him to listen to me and to order a liver panel. (Actually, it took 9 years to get any doctor to do liver enzymes on me even though mine had been elevated on and off during the 1990s. They said I did not need the tests.)
"To be honest, at this point, I don't know what to hope for- If it turns out I've got hep C but it can be treated and even cured, that actually sounds like a better outcome then being tired all the time and not knowing why."
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Well, I hope you do not have Hep C, but I do agree that, when one does not feel well, getting a diagnosis can be a relief. At least with a diagnosis one knows what is wrong and one can get treatment. Plus, as has been stated, Hep C can be treated and does have high cure rates. I feel considerably better and healthier than I felt prior to treatment. Treatment has really turned my life around. I have a lot of energy and can do many things that I was way too tired to do prior to treatment. I feel normal again. I have my life back.
Best of luck.